Verizon Business South Africa Launches Wireless Solution for Business Data Continuity
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Verizon Business today announced the launch of Verizon WiPoD, an intelligent gateway that gives customers automatic communications failover without loss of traffic in the event of connectivity failure. WiPoD automatically switches customer communications across available wireline and wireless networks in the event of network failure, maintaining connectivity to Verizon Business's IP Dedicated transport and therefore enabling business operations to continue uninterrupted. The solution has been developed to respond to the demands of the local market, where business continuity can be compromised by network failure, and to provide local customers with a cost effective alternative to existing incumbent solutions.
Developed in conjunction with South African company, Strattice, WiPoD forms part of the Verizon Business IP redundancy and diversity solutions portfolio. Simple to install and manage, it can be used as a business' primary or secondary connection point, and is particularly suitable for branch office connectivity. Remote branches are connected through the WiPoD compact plug-and-play device, which includes a built-in server and router and firewall functionality. These devices are managed centrally, giving customers ease of administration and simple access to the product's array of critical business services and networking rich protocols. In addition, customers benefit from a pay-per-usage bandwidth model, resulting in manageable data costs.
Elia Tsouros, business development executive at Verizon Business SA says; "This cost-effective box solution, developed on local shores, provides stable connectivity for companies of any size. Most businesses in South Africa currently have no alternate continuity options outside of fixed lines, which can have a potentially devastating impact on operational effectiveness. With WiPoD's GSM failover capabilities, they can rest assured that their business operations will not be impacted, even if their primary network fails."
Concludes Tsouros; "The GSM network has a growing, reliable footprint that covers 95% of the populated area of South Africa, with data speeds of up to 1.8 Mbps (using HSDPA) and up to 384 kbps (using 3G). We are committed to providing our customers with access to world-class solutions while maintaining local service, support and technical excellence. WiPoD, developed in response to local customer demands, is testament to that fact."
<p align="center"><b>About WiPoD</b>
WiPoD is network independent and offers:
<ul>
<li>Secure connection to Verizon Business's IP dedicated transport for global IP connectivity</li>
<li>Always-on Internet connectivity, with no need to keep re-connecting</li>
<li>In addition to GSM routing, connectivity via ADSL, Sentech, iBurst, GPRS/Edge or 3G/HSDPA</li>
<li>VPN Tunnelling, secure access to web, email, Internet, firewall and business services</li>
<li>Effortless and secure online administration and reporting accessed from the Verizon Business Customer Centre</li>
<li>Technical support, fault resolution and troubleshooting assistance from Verizon Business's highly experienced IP engineers</li>
</ul>
WiPoD will be rolled out across the African countries in which Verizon Business operates.
UUNET SA is now trading as Verizon Business (SA). For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com/za.
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.verizonbusiness.com">www.verizonbusiness.com</a>.
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